The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated.
Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.

First visit to Sweden coming up

Considering moving my family from the US to SE

don't be fooled by the great integration line - you will always be an outsider and your kids sons and daughters of outsiders. When it comes to networking and jobs that won
... (show full quote)

don't be fooled by the great integration line - you will always be an outsider and your kids sons and daughters of outsiders. When it comes to networking and jobs that won't be forgotten. BTW I am not saying it is better or worse here than other places just don't fall for the utopia it can appear to be.
... (hide full quote)

Outsiders / incomers it's global. Try moving to the remoter parts of Northern England, where I last lived the standing joke was you were an incomer until you have 3 generations buried in the church yard! But, it doesn't mean you are treated any different. If the worst someone does to you is say that you are still foreign, which is technically true, then you have little to worry about. If that hurts so much, then that person is clearly over sensitive.

As a Swede we all know the secrets of Sweden that expats never will found out, it might seem like the great country when you arrive here but the honeymoon is pretty fast over when you start to realize how things are done here.

When it comes to children, it lies way back in time that children should be brought up by society to be good socialists from an early age, not think you are better or worse in any way, you are brought up to beleive you can't make your life better than others, stay in line as they say, everyone and everything is equal in this country as a true socialist wants you to be

Entrepeneurship is killed in Sweden as government and the the socialist thinking of the Sweden doesn't make room for people who wants to succeed, the tax system for companies are complex, Swedes love bureaucracy and that makes it even harder to succeed.

Sweden is not a country for A people, it's good for B and C people if you know the classification of personalities.

If you like sitting on the beach and not have so much goals in life Sweden is a good place if you accept to stay in line and not critize the system and be a good socialist.

Racism we have in all countries today but racism is towards people from the Arabic world in Sweden, cultures that are not ours i would say, then comes age discrimination in the job market, Sweden was the last country to accept the new EU regulations when it comes to age discrimination laws of a reason.

Outside people might think this country is great, purely based on Swedens state was 30 years ago that still lives on, however this country is not for the self-goer as i said before.

Swedes likes comfort and sustainability which means everything goes slow when you want to do something, they tend to sit on their jobs which means it's a slow rotation among new jobs.

If i had to choose a country in EU i would go for Germany, it's a good country, strong and motivated people with high morals when it comes to work and entrepeneurship, but moving from the U.S is a bad idea i think because the U.S is still one of the richest countries today and there are so many opportunities just around the corrner, it's a different market from EU.

If i had to choose a country in EU i would go for Germany, it's a good country, strong and motivated people with high morals when it comes to work and entrepeneurship, but
... (show full quote)

If i had to choose a country in EU i would go for Germany, it's a good country, strong and motivated people with high morals when it comes to work and entrepeneurship, but moving from the U.S is a bad idea i think because the U.S is still one of the richest countries today and there are so many opportunities just around the corrner, it's a different market from EU.
... (hide full quote)

It really depends on what your definition of "rich" is. Sure, the U.S. has the world's largest economy and many people live comfortably, but it is all built on a house of cards. The national debt is so now huge that a monetary crisis is inevitable. If you take the national debt and divide it by the number of families, each American family owes more than $700,000. There is no real economic recovery, nor will there be one, until a new monetary system is implemented.

Sweden, on the other hand, has a relatively low debt-to-GDP ratio (about 35%, compared to 105% in the U.S.), so it is in a much better financial position.

Apples and Oranges methinks. The wealth in Sweden is more evenly spread compared to the socio-economic layers in the US. I have lived in the US and as a white, well educated male my earnings were much higher compared to what I earn here... however my quality of life here is better.

Outsiders / incomers it's global. Try moving to the remoter parts of Northern England, where I last lived the standing joke was you were an incomer until you have 3 genera
... (show full quote)

Outsiders / incomers it's global. Try moving to the remoter parts of Northern England, where I last lived the standing joke was you were an incomer until you have 3 generations buried in the church yard! But, it doesn't mean you are treated any different. If the worst someone does to you is say that you are still foreign, which is technically true, then you have little to worry about. If that hurts so much, then that person is clearly over sensitive.
... (hide full quote)

If that was the worst yes but IMHO and I am sure others may disagree but it also discriminates against you in the job market and that fact that you are on the lowest rung of the network family friends hierarchy that is common here.

Entrepeneurship is killed in Sweden as government and the the socialist thinking of the Sweden doesn't make room for people who wants to succeed, the tax system for compan
... (show full quote)

Entrepeneurship is killed in Sweden as government and the the socialist thinking of the Sweden doesn't make room for people who wants to succeed, the tax system for companies are complex, Swedes love bureaucracy and that makes it even harder to succeed.If i had to choose a country in EU i would go for Germany,
... (hide full quote)

your joking, Sweden is much easier than many countries to start a business in. Germany, their boom is over, they are on the brink of recession, their exports will never pick up until the Southern EU debt is paid off, only the bail out money is saving their export nations from collapse, with Germany manufacturing close behind.

QUOTE (Osk @ 27.Nov.2012, 04:25 PM)

I am sure others may disagree but it also discriminates against you in the job market and that fact that you are on the lowest rung of the network family friends hierarchy that is common here.

which country or employer doesn't favour people of his own nationality, or those that have a few years under their belt. Ask any 55+ yr old in the UK who lost his job, and you'll hear about age discrimination.. it's the same everywhere. Unemployment is mainly the youth and oldies, most work going to 30-45yrs old, those with the energy and some knowledge, rather than zero experience or loads of experience, but no motivation and cruising towards a pension.

I think you are both youngish, first jobs, no kids, certainly under 30? Your idea of what is valuable in life exists only on what it says on he bottom of your pay slip? quality of life is not sitting in a traffic jam for 2hrs of your working day commuting, not having to work constantly to be able to even afford a mortgage, it's about having to time for your kids to actually know you, rather than just be the person who appears at bed time etc... if a society doesn't have such huge financial and materialistic goals, then there is less pressure on it's members to achieve the impossible. As the saying goes, "the best things in life are free".

Go to London, and watch the commuters for a few days... does that look like a lifestyle you want to do until you retire? They may earn loads, big social scene, nice house (for some), etc.. but do any of them look happy?

Sweden, on the other hand, has a relatively low debt-to-GDP ratio (about 35%, compared to 105% in the U.S.), so it is in a much better financial position.

National debt does not have anything to do with how the average persons quality of life in Sweden, the welfare has gone pretty much downhill the last 10 years here, if you actually lived in Sweden for a long time you will notice how bad everything is today.

QUOTE (John.Smith @ 27.Nov.2012, 04:07 PM)

Apples and Oranges methinks. The wealth in Sweden is more evenly spread compared to the socio-economic layers in the US. I have lived in the US and as a white, well educated m
... (show full quote)

Apples and Oranges methinks. The wealth in Sweden is more evenly spread compared to the socio-economic layers in the US. I have lived in the US and as a white, well educated male my earnings were much higher compared to what I earn here... however my quality of life here is better.
... (hide full quote)

There is no wealth anymore in Sweden among average people except a few which you can count on your hand, Sweden is not a country where you can fulfill your personal achievments in life and Swedes doesn't have much expectations on life either and that's not their fault but the socialistic way of living in Sweden which they have been brought up in when they were children.

Sweden is a extreme socialist country as everyone is equal when it comes to everything which limits the power of each individual to actually achieve something and those who wants to achieve something gives up on the way or they leave the country.

If you like government to control your life in exact details like parental guidance, how much you should earn etc etc and what you can do with your life then Sweden is fine, it's like a prison, some people live somebody to control their way of living and that's why some people like it here, however they wouldn't last long in the real world outside Sweden.

I read this all realizing it was coming from a racist, and tried to find legitimate news stories to research the actual facts.

The actual facts probably came from that "racist", Swedish newspapers only print the politically correct socialist agenda as "the truth", theres no "independent" or "investigative" media that would dare to print the actual facts. For the facts you need to go to sites like "avpixlat" and read what the "racists" have to say. All the main publishers have a liberal-left leaning, and there is no "freedom of speech" for political parties either.

Welcome. Don't listen to all trolls, of course moving to Sweden is a great choice. Our business competiveness is among best in the world: “Global Competitiveness Report” ranks us as second in the world. iT IS THE Most competitive economy in E.U. US department of state tells: “Sweden offers an extremely competitive, largely corruption-free economy with access to new products and technologies, skills and innovations. Sweden’s taxation structure is straightforward and corporate tax levels are low”. Newsweek study: “Sweden third best nation in the world”.

You will find most swedes know english very well and I'd say most english speaking immigrant kids will not have any trouble at all. They will know a language their friends struggle to learn (english is mandatory). You will find most racial issues focus on islamic or persian origin.

Sweden have the greatest parental conditions in the world together with the rest of the social welfare. High tax preassure is ok since in real terms, you get a lot back from it, since i US you had to pay huge amounts of bills on stuff that is free or low cost here. Sweden is in top of the world among countries having great business competitive regulations and still can offer great social benefits.

You will find the ease you can go out in the woods for hikes or mushrooms whenever you want without any permission from a land owner. You can find yourself a summer house at a lake somewere, or even have that as a home and commute to a nearby city if you like. I live in Uppsala, and as consultant I commute to stockholm.

Most cities have particular areas with more refugees with poor language skills, high unemployment, and a poor economy. These areas also unfortunately have schools you might want to use to avoid. Grim thing to say, but as parent you probably look to your own kids first.

These areas usually are not in homeowner areas, so if you buy a house you also problably increase your chances you already are in a high quality school area. In Uppsala, there are a lot of guest scientist as a university town, such place that you find more acceptance to english speaking neighbours. Actually, I have 3 families out of 60 in my street of english speaking origin, and it is a popular area to live in. I cannot see much of racism here. The closer to the areas with refugees, you find more tension.

There are three areas to live in, I say; in the big city, in suburbs or cities around the e.g. Stockholm, or in countryside. Or maybe four; the deserted areas in the north might be a separate option. Depends on your profession.

However as someone said: If you cannot Swedsh, it is hard to get a job. If I were you, I would ensure at least one you have income before moving. Good luck.

If that was the worst yes but IMHO and I am sure others may disagree but it also discriminates against you in the job market and that fact that you are on the lowest rung of t
... (show full quote)

If that was the worst yes but IMHO and I am sure others may disagree but it also discriminates against you in the job market and that fact that you are on the lowest rung of the network family friends hierarchy that is common here.
... (hide full quote)

This is not a Sweden unique thing, and it is not descrimination.

For example, in the UK job market, approx. 70% of job openings are never advertised, they are filled via networking and/or recommendation and reputation. In Sweden, which has a smaller population, that percentage is around 85-90%, with a smaller workforce pool=smaller skills pools, and is much more expensive to employ and remove a person, it becomes even more important that You find the best person for the position ... and by best, that does not always mean most capable ...it means someone that you know, someone you trust knows, or reputation.

Companies are not descriminating, they are using tried and tested (proven) methods for recruitment, and looking out for the interest of their owners (shareholders) by employing persons known to them, or someone in their organisation.

Companies are not descriminating, they are using tried and tested (proven) methods for recruitment, and looking out for the interest of their owners (shareholders) by employin
... (show full quote)

Companies are not descriminating, they are using tried and tested (proven) methods for recruitment, and looking out for the interest of their owners (shareholders) by employing persons known to them, or someone in their organisation.
... (hide full quote)

That is just bullocks, yes it's true it's easier getting a job if you know someone but that rule applies to all countries, however your view on discrimination is not true.

Discrimination in Sweden is a huge problem in all areas when it comes to recruiting, not the least the immigrants.

We can add a fact: In Sweden few jobs are "low qualified". It is hard for people e.g. who cannot talk the language because even cleaning work demands employees who can read the labels on the flasks, and know regulations. You need to have a profession. Young people might start in supermarket counters, or in shops, but there you propably need to look nice and happy. Good looks = beneficial. And you compete with a people famous for their slender, good looking attributes. Not all these days, but still Sweden is in top of the rank.

PSD Media
PSD Media is marketing company that offers innovative solutions for online retailers. We provide modern solutions that help increase traffic and raise conversion. Visit our site at: psdmedia.se